The BJP managed to retain both the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation(MBMC) election held on Wednesday. The MBMC which has a strength of 95 corporators, BJP has 61 whereas Shiv Sena has 22 and Congress has 12 corporators.
There was a direct fight between Jyotsna Hasnale of BJP and Anant Shirke of Shiv Sena for the Mayoral post. New Mayor Jyotsna Hasnale got 55 votes while Maha Vikas Aghadi’s(MVA) Shirke received 36 votes. However, four corporators were absent from across the party. A total of 91 corporators attended and voted. BJP’s Hasmukh Gehlot has too won the post of Deputy Mayor by 56-35 as Morris Rodrigues of BJP has voted against the party line for the mayoral post but supported new deputy mayor.
Recently, the establishment of the new alliance Government in the state, this election was getting everyone’s attention from the state. Congress leaders Sarah Akram, Shiv Sena’s Anita Patil and Deepti Bhat and BJP’s Vijay Rai were absent. Shiv Sena’s 20 and 11 Congress corporators voted in favour of Sena’s Anant Shirke. BJP’s Morris Rodrigues, Ashwin Kasodaria, Parshuram Mhatre Vaishali Rakvi, voted for the Shiv Sena. However, Shiv Sena-Congress Anant Shirke faced defeat by 19 votes.
There were three candidates in the fray for the deputy mayor election. Madan Singh and Hasmukh Gehlot filed their nominations from BJP while Merlin D’sa was Congress or MVA candidate. However, Madan Singh, who is North Indian face for BJP in Mira-Bhayandar withdrew his nomination at the last moment. Therefore, it becomes a direct fight between Congress’ candidate D’sa and BJP’s Gehlot for the Deputy Mayor’s election. Merlin got 35 votes while Gehlot got 56 votes.
Gehlot is a close relative of former BJP MLA Narendra Mehta.
What they say
Neela Soans, who has a complaint against the former BJP MLA Mehta of having life threat to herself and family from him, voted for BJP’s official candidates in the election. She said, “My fight is personal with Mehta. However, I’m a loyal member of the party and party has nothing to do with it.”
Though he is one of the senior-most corporators but withdrew from the fray, when asked Madan Singh about his withdrawal, he said, “Party decision is for overall benefit. Whatever party decided, I have to follow as a sincere member of the party.”
The new mayor Hasnale said, “It is my dream to work for women as I am a woman. As in my tenure, I will definitely like to establish a government-sponsored industry where women can get employment either like papad industry or sanitary napkins industry here in Mira-Bhayandar.
Shiv Sena and Congress said that they will take action accordingly on their absentees’ members. However, Congress has lodged a complaint at the Naya Nagar Police Station against the BJP workers for kidnapping its corporator and her husband.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Suburban District Collector Milind Borikar was present as the presiding officer.
